Hospital waiting lists decrease by 6,000

The latest figures from the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) have revealed that by March hospital waiting lists in Northern Ireland have dropped by almost 6,000 over the last twelve months.

The statistics also showed that a total of 41,495, were still waiting for treatment by the end of March 2006, a drop of 7.3 %, compared with the previous quarter and has decreased by 12.3 % over the year.

However, the report has shown that the number of people waiting for a first outpatient appointment has risen by almost 14,000 in the last year to more than 180,000 people.

This means that the number of patients waiting for 18 months and over has decreased by 293, compared with the previous quarter, and this has decreased by 762, throughout over the year.

The total number of people waiting for a first outpatient appointment at the end of March 2006 was 181,038.

This total has increased by 800, compared with figures for the previous quarter and has increased by 13,900, over the year.

While 68% of outpatients seen during the March 2006 quarter had been on the waiting list for less than three months, 94.9 % of outpatients seen during the March 2006 quarter had been on the waiting list for less than twelve months.

Health Minister, Paul Goggins, today said that the reform of waiting times in Northern Ireland was delivering real improvements for patients.

The Minister said that the statistics showed that, with the exception of just three patients, all of the inpatient and daycase waiting time targets for 2005/06 were met.

He said: “I congratulate all health service staff for their efforts in meeting these challenging targets. In the last year the number of people waiting more than 12 months has fallen by 4,000."

He added that his Department will continue to monitor performance closely, and as the maximum 12-month waiting time has been achieved so far, he does not want to see any further breaches of of this standard which is the minimum patients can expect.

The Minister added that he also wants to see progress being made to reduce waiting times for all treatments to six months, and added that he will take action against those Trusts who are not doing so and "letting their patients down."

Turning to the outpatients figure, the Minister said he would now address the appalling waiting times endured by over 180,000 patients.

Figures for the end of March showed an increase of 800 on the previous quarter waiting for a first outpatient appointment, and now stands at 181,038.

He said: “One in nine people here is waiting for a first outpatient appointment. Many of them have been waiting for years. This is totally unacceptable and cannot continue.

“We are already committed to a maximum 13 week waiting time from referral to first appointment by March 2008. Today I am setting a new target that, by March 2007, no patient will wait more than six months for a first outpatient appointment.

Mr Goggins concluded by saying that he is not prepared to accept anything less than this and that he expects that Trusts and Boards, working with his Department, to take all necessary actions to secure the required improvement in performance.

(EF/SP)